Ophidascaris robertsi

 

 

Contents

 

Rev 08/30/2023

  Classification Biology and Ecology
Morphology and Anatomy Life Cycle
Return to Ophidascaris Menu Ecosystem Functions and Services
Distribution Management
Return to Ascarididae Menu Feeding  References
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Classification

Phylum: Nematoda
Class:    Chromadorea
                Chromadoria
Order:   Rhabditida
Family:  Ascarididae

      Ophidascaris robertsi (Sprent & Mines, 1960), Sprent, 1988

Synonym:

Amplicaecum robertsi Sprent & Mines, 1960

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Morphology and Anatomy:

See genus description and Sprent, 1963a,b

   
Reported median body size for this species (Length mm; width micrometers; weight micrograms) - Click:

 

   
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Distribution:

Intestinal parasites of carpet pythons (Morelia spilota) in Australia


 

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Economic Importance:

 

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Hosts:

Carpet pythons (Morelia spilota) in Australia.

The carpet python is a large species of Morelia, between 2 and 4 m long and weighing up to 15 kg .  Males are typically smaller than females; in some regions, females are up to four times longer than males.

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Feeding:

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Life Cycle:

Adult nematodes inhabit the esophagus and stomach of the definitive host (carpet python). Eggs are passed in the snake's feces and are ingested by various small mammals which serve as intermediate hosts.

In the intermediate host, larvae migrate to thoracic and abdominal organs where, particularly in marsupials, the third-stage larvae may reach lengths of 7-8cm.

The cycle is completed when pythons consume infected intermediate hosts (Hossain et al., 2023).

 

Ecophysiological Parameters:

For Ecophysiological Parameters for this species, click If species level data are not available, click for genus level parameters
 
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Damage:

Humans would be considered accidental hosts of Ophidascaris robersti. In 2021, a 64-year-old woman from New South Wales, Australia, was admitted to a local hospital after 3 weeks of abdominal pain and diarrhea, followed by dry cough and night sweats. Subsequently, in 2022, she was experinecing forgetfulness and worsening depression. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a right frontal lobe lesion. In a biopsy, a live third-stage larval specimen of Ophidascaris robertsi (8cm long, 1mm diam.) was removerd from the frontal lobe lesion (Hossain et al., 2023).

The woman resided in an area where she often collected native vegetation, warrigal greens (Tetragonia tetragonioides), from around a lake to use in cooking. Hossain et al. (2023) hypothesized that she inadvertently consumed eggs of O. robertsi either directly from the greens or indirectly by contamination of her hands or kitchen utensils.
 

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Management:

 

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References:

Hossain, M.E., Kennedy, K.J., Wilson, H.L., Spratt, D., Koehler, A., Gasser, R.B., Slapeta, J., Hawkins, C.A., Bandi, H.P., Senanayake, S.N. 2023. Human Neural Larva Migrans Caused by Ophidascaris robertsi Ascarid. Emerging Infectious Diseases • www.cdc.gov/eid • Vol. 29, No. 9: 1900-1903.

Sprent J.F.A. 1963a. The life history and development of Amplicaecum robertsi, an ascaridoid nematode of the carpet python (Morelia spilotes variegatus). I. Morphology and functional significance of larval stages. Parasitology. 153:7-38). https://doi.org/10.1017/S0031182000072498

Sprent J.F.A. 1963b.  The life history and development of Amplicaecum robertsi, an ascaridoid nematode of the carpet python (Morelia spilotes variegatus). II. Growth and host specificity of larval stages in relation to the food chain. Parasitology. 53:321-327. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0031182000072796

Sprent. J.F.A. 1988. Ascaridoid nematodes of amphibians and reptiles: Ophidascaris Baylis, 1920. Systematic Parasitology 11: 165-213.

 

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Copyright © 1999 by Howard Ferris.
Revised: August 30, 2023.